ToV2: The Duke of Zaphias EXTRA STORIES
by DeMerio
Summary: Here is where you can find many bonus stories from my Tales of Vesperia 2 fanfiction. Inside will eventually have bonus stories, retelling of parts of chapters/whole chapters from certain characters' viewpoints, deleted scenes and of course, bonus skits, titles and other little things for your enjoyment. I highly reconmmend reading my other fanfic first, or you'll get confused.
1. Story 1

Hello and welcome to the Tales of Vesperia 2: Duke of Zaphias Extra stories! If you are reading this before reading my other story, please read that first to know what's going on. Luckily, this first chapter won't have major spoilers so I guess it's ok to read this first if you wish. However, I recommend at least reading my Tales of Vesperia 2 story's prologue so this will make much more sense.

These stories won't be as long as the chapters in the main story, nor will it be updated as often.

Later chapters will contain MAJOR spoilers but I will point that out at the start of the story and include what chapter you should read up to first to avoid too much being ruined. Whether you listen to the warning is up to you entirely. For example:

**SPOILER ALERT!** Please take caution when reading this instalment.

Please read first: Prologue.

So without further ado, please enjoy.

* * *

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Story 1: The Sisters' resolution

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"_Your Eminence! There have been reports of screams coming from the lower levels. But the hallways are being blocked by some of our own Knights!" The Duke's eyes widened and sprinted off while drawing his two swords. His wife was just behind him holding two daggers which seemingly appeared out of thin air. The Emperor called after them, before ordering the Knight to watch over the Duke's daughters and following._

Tillya could only watch as her parents sprinted out of the room. The fleeting glimpse she got of their despairing faces was the last time she ever saw them alive. Looking back, she wishes that she was able to say 'good-bye' or 'I love you' to them at least. But, she did not know of the horrors that had occurred and were about to occur that night. All she could do was keep herself calm enough to try to keep Kara calm. However, it was proving to be a challenge. Being nineteen, she was old enough to realise what had panicked her parents so much. She just hugged Kara and prayed that the situation wasn't how she and her parents were fearing. However, a feeling in her gut was telling her that the night would bring much misery. Each second in the silent hall crawled past. The atmosphere of the room was thick with anxiety. Each shaky breath seemed to echo in the minds of the sisters.

_KABOOM!_

The sudden explosion caused both sisters to scream as panic overtook them. The Knight was desperately trying to calm them. Tillya of course was the first after a minute or two but Kara continued to shake in her sister's arms. The Knight then stood in the doorway and tried to ask passing Knights what the situation was. Tillya couldn't remember the next few minutes. She had closed her eyes tightly as she tried to comfort her sister. All she remembers was the Knight's scrambling in the hallway, her shaking voice and Kara's terrified sobs. Eventually, the Emperor came back. From his face, Tillya knew to expect the worst. When she heard it, she fell to her knees in shock and wept.

X-X-X-XX-X-X-X

The funeral was only a couple of days afterwards. The whole of Zaphias seemed to stop and join the grieving sisters. Their parents were adored by even the Lower Quarter, whom normally hated the nobility. The sisters silently watched the event though tear-stained eyes. They stayed close to Estellise, their childhood friend. The pink haired Princess offered silent support by holding both of their hands. The warmth from them was comforting and let them know that they weren't alone. After the funeral, they were taken to the castle to stay and receive support. During one of the Emperor's periodic checks on the girls, Estellise approached him.

"_Where is Dayrellan? Why wasn't he at his parent's funeral?"_

"_Estellise... Dayrellan is... Missing."_

Tillya was shocked to find out that no-one had told the poor girl where her closest friend was, or more accurately, that he had disappeared until now.

"_What!? No... He... You'll find him, right!?"_

"_Yes, he'll return home soon."_

Tillya watched the girl shrink as she walked back to them. Even then, the older de Lyesia sister could see that Estellise was closer to Dayrellan than herself. But not once in her life has it ever bothered her. In fact, it was the opposite, she was very happy to see the close bond they had. The relationship of the Duke's son and the Princess was a popular topic of conversation among the nobles. Seeing her friend on the edge of tears again prompted Tillya to want to help her. It was at that time, she remembered some of her father's words.

"_Listen my children, I have something important to teach you about life. When you see your friend frown, it's up to you to turn it upside-down!"_

It was that in moment in time that Tillya decided what needed to be done. After briefly conferring with Kara, she approached Estellise.

"_Don't worry, Estellise. We will find our brother, even if it means we have to do it ourselves!"_

X-X-X-XX-X-X-X

Soon, however, there was talk of who would take up the position of Duke of Zaphias. Many nobles put themselves forward but the Emperor rejected them all, saying it was too early to replace him. Tillya didn't want some stuck-up noble taking the position and use it only as a way to show off and not lift a finger for the people of Zaphias. Her father had many unfinished plans to improve the lives of those people. She did not want to see them go to waste due to a lazy and selfish successor. So, her actions shocked many but at the same time, was supported by the multitude. She put herself forward to be a temporary Duchess until her brother was found to take over. Dayrellan could have been considered a genius, not that she'd ever tell him she thought so. His creativity and ability to created ideas was admittedly a little 'out there' but was on par with his father. She thought that Dayrellan was the best choice to continue the late Duke's work and do it justice.

When the search parties for Dayrellan were called off after a month of fruitless searching, it was a crushing blow to the Duchess. So once again, she shocked the masses. Her and Kara would personally look for Dayrellan. And they would find him, regardless of how long it took. The resolution in both sisters' hearts was unbreakable. They would find him; for the future of Zaphias, for Estellise and for their family. Broken but resilient.

"_Listen my dear children... You must look out for one another. On the day that your father and I are no longer around to protect you, your siblings are all you will have left. So cherish them. Always."_

* * *

And that's it. This will be updated very randomly as the focus will be on the main story. I hope you enjoyed this and will enjoy future updates too. Bye for now!


	2. Story 2

Hiya guys, I'm back with another short story which will be happier than the first one, promise! So it seems the idea of theses short stories has been well received which I am glad about. There are just so many things I could do here which I'm really excited for. There's so much I could do, I don't really know _what_ to do. I originally intended to release them in a somewhat chronological order so it would not be confusing but this story throws that out the window since it happens before the previous one. So I'll try to keep it as chronologically ordered as possible but no promises.

**No Spoiler warning.**

Note: Reading Chapters 10 and 20 will give a bit of context.

* * *

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Story 2: Fated encounter

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_12 years ago…_

Richard de Lyesia looked at himself in the mirror. He studied his suit for any imperfections. As he meticulously did so, he noticed his wife sigh behind him.

"Richard, dear… You look fine so stop fussing." She said. Richard turned with a small smile.

"Yes, I know Arinne. But I can't help fussing. It's a very important day." He replied.

"It is indeed, New Duke of Zaphias." Arinne said proudly.

"So I need to make absolutely sure that I look acceptable." Richard said turning back to the mirror. With another sigh, his wife got up from her seat and literally pulled him away from the mirror.

"Alright, stop. Your nerves are rubbing off on me and the kids." She said. The Duke turned to look at his children. His two daughters, Tillya and Kara, were holding hands and looking back at him with worried faces. His son, Dayrellan, was reading a book and was peeking over the top.

"You're right. This night is not about me, it is about us as a family celebrating the start of our new life." Richard said.

"And don't forget it. Now stop worrying, everything will be…" Arinne was saying but stop abruptly, eyes fixed on her son.

"Dayrellan, I told you to get dressed two hours ago!" She yelled.

"I don't wanna go. I'd rather read." Dayrellan said with a frown.

"That's not an option, young man! Get dressed now!" Arinne ordered. Reluctantly, the boy obeyed and stood up.

"Honey, what time does the party start?" Richard asked, adjusting his cravat.

"I believe it starts at Noon." His wife replied and Tillya nodded.

"And what is the time now?" Richard continued.

"It's 11:50, exactly." Dayrellan said, bored. Silence fell like a ton of bricks. The family thought about it for a few seconds. Suddenly, they all started to scramble, noisily shouting at each other as they rushed to get ready.

X-X-X-XX-X-X-X

By some miracle, they were all out of the house and on the way in eight minutes. By another miracle, their new house was only about two minutes away by cart and horse, which they were in now.

"Why do we always have to rush?" Arinne complained, glancing at Dayrellan.

"Now now, at least we won't be late." Richard said.

"Yeah but we very well could have been..." Arinne said. Richard sighed and looked at his family. Little Kara was on the lap of his wife dressed in a cute white dress that made her look like an angel. Tillya was wearing an expensive red dress that she had picked out herself, with the warning to take VERY good care of it from her parents. Dayrellan was wearing a black tux with a royal blue waistcoat and cravat, which he was grumbling that it was strangling him. His eyes fell on his wife. She looked beautiful in her black satin dress with a white shawl around her neck. He fell in love with her all over again in that moment, as he had all those years ago. She had been the daughter of the item shop owner in the Public Quarter. Now she was his wife, a mother of three kids and the new Duchess of Zaphias. Richard marvelled at how amazing his wife was.

"Why do I have to come?" Dayrellan asked.

"It is an honour to be invited to the castle." His father said.

"All the Royal Family will be present, including the Emperor and Princess." His mother continued.

"Princess? How old is she?" Tillya asked excitedly.

"She is three years older than your brother." Richard said.

"And I heard she is also an avid reader of books, Dayrellan" Arinne said, winking at her son.

"I see…" Dayrellan replied deep in thought. Tillya was excitedly bobbing in her seat at the thought of meeting someone new around her age. It was then that they arrived. They all took a moment to admire the beauty of the castle in front of them before slowly walking through the front doors.

X-X-X-XX-X-X-X

Upon entering the Dining room, the family were met with the Emperor himself. The family bowed and curtsied in respect. However, the Emperor insisted they rose and gave the Duke a huge hug.

"My friend, it has been years! Oh it is so good to see you and your family well!" He said happily.

"Likewise, my friend, it is good to see you well too!" Richard replied, returning the hug.

"And Arinne… My, you're still as beautiful as ever! It is like you haven't aged a day!" The Emperor continued.

"Oh stop it you…" Arinne said smiling bashfully.

"Who is this adorable young one?" The Emperor said kneeling down to Kara's eye level.

"This is my youngest daughter, Kara. She's two, three this year." Richard explained.

"I see. It is a pleasure to meet you, Kara." The Emperor smiled and Kara shyly hid behind her mother. The adults chuckled and Arinne picked her up.

"Ah, is that young Dayrellan I see? How you have grown… I remember you were a baby the last time I saw you." The Emperor said. Dayrellan seemed surprised for a second before returning to a look of indifference. The Emperor didn't seem to mind however.

"And last but no means the least, Tillya. Wow, you sure are starting to look like your mother." He continued.

"Why thank you. It is a pleasure to see you again, Your Majesty." Tillya replied politely.

"Oh Tillya, how many time must I insist you call me 'Uncle'?!" The Emperor joked. The guests started to pile in so they moved to one side out-of-the-way of the door.

"So how is young Estellise?" Richard asked.

"Ah, she is growing up nicely. She studies every day and is so well-mannered. However… I fear she gets quite lonely. There aren't many children so she is alone most of the time." The Emperor said sadly.

"So, I'm counting on you three to be good friends to her." He continued with a wink at the children. Dayrellan shrugged and walked off towards the food table. His parents sighed, hoping he hadn't offended the Ruler of the Empire. Then, the doors opened wide and the small group turned to see a young pink-haired girl in a sky blue dress enter.

"Ah, speaking of! Richard, this is Princess Estellise." The Emperor introduced. The Duke bowed and the girl curtsied.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, your Highness." Richard said.

"Likewise..." She shyly reply.

"I'd like to introduce my wife, Arinne, my eldest daughter Tillya and my youngest daughter, Kara." He continued. She looked up at the Duchess and her eyes widened in surprise. The Princess' gaze fell on Arinne's arms where Kara was looking back at her with curiosity. She then turned to Tillya.

"It is nice to meet you all... Um..." The Princess said.

"What is it, dear?" Arinne asked and The Princess' cheeks go a little pink.

"I... Heard that you had a son too." She said.

"Ah yes, he's around... Tillya here can point him out when she sees him, ok?" Richard said and Tillya nodded.

"Alright! Come along Estellise, let's go talk over there." Tillya said and Estellise happily complied.

X-X-X-XX-X-X-X

"I'll be honest, I am really excited to meet you! I don't know many people my age and you're only six years younger than me." Tillya said happily. The Princess' face lit up.

"Same! I'm really happy!" She replied just as happily.

"Aww, you're so cute!" Tillya said and Estellise blushed again slightly.

"Unlike my annoying brother..." She sighed and made the Princess laugh.

"No really! All he does is read and infuriate me!" Tillya cried.

"Hehe, really? How does he do it?" Estellise asked.

"He is always so indifferent to everything, never takes anything that doesn't interest him seriously and no matter what, he always reacts calmly to whatever I say or do to him!" Tillya said, continuing her rant.

"Wow… He sounds really laid-back." Estellise said.

"You can say that again. I'm sure being that calm is bad for you…" Tillya sighed.

"It sounds so fun to have a sibling…" Estellise said wistfully. Tillya realised that she'd been spouting all of this at her.

"I-I'm so sorry Your Highness! I didn't mean to…" She started but Estellise stopped her.

"It's quite alright! I don't have to worry about being alone again now!" She beamed.

"Yeah, my siblings and I will become great friends with you!" Tillya said.

"You really mean it?" Estellise asked hopefully.

"Of course! We'll be friends forever!" Tillya beamed.

X-X-X-XX-X-X-X

The two chatted away for a couple of hours after that and went back to Tillya's parents so Estellise could officially meet Kara. The youngest girl was shy at first but eventually gave Estellise a warm smile. They walked again and chatted more about their likes and dislikes. Suddenly, Tillya noticed Dayrellan behind Estellise.

"Oh, there's Dayrellan!" She said. Estellise didn't hear her but saw her looking at someone so she turned around.

"There you are! We've been looking for you. Dayrellan, this is Estellise." Tillya introduced. Dayrellan looked at Estellise for the first time, straight in the eye.

"You're prettier than I imagined..." He said truthfully. Estellise went a brilliant red.

"Who… Who are you?" Estellise asked in a daze.

"…Dayrellan" He replied simply.

"Oh… The Duke's son?" She asked, coming out of her stupor.

"…Yeah." He answered simply and Tillya sighed at his lack of enthusiasm to talk with the Princess.

"Um… It's nice to meet you. My name is Estellise." She said, offering her hand.

"…It's… Nice to meet you too" Dayrellan replied and shock her hand.

"So, I'll leave you two to chat for a bit. Be nice Dayrellan!" Tillya ordered before rushing off.

"Tillya, I don't want to…" Dayrellan started to call after her but she'd already gone.

"So… I heard you like to read." Estellise said, starting a conversation.

"…Yeah. I heard you do too." Dayrellan replied, trying not to sound irritated.

"That's right, I love to read. Who is your favourite Author?" Estellise asked enthusiastically.

"…Patrick Capel." Dayrellan said.

"Really!? He's one of my favourites too!" Estellise exclaimed happily.

"Hmm… You have good taste." Dayrellan said, slightly impressed.

"Thank you! Let's see… What do you want to do in the future?" Estellise asked.

"I want… To write books" Dayrellan said cautiously.

"That's amazing! I've always wanted to write a book! But I'm not sure if it'll be any good…" The Princess said sadly. Dayrellan stared st her for a moment.

"…If you write a book, then I'll read it." He promised.

"You will? Then, I promise to read your book too!" Estellise beamed.

"…It's a deal." Dayrellan said, his tone had been progressively getting less cold.

"Dayrellan? Are we friends now?" Estellise asked, unsure.

"I guess we are." Dayrellan said, not hesitating before speaking this time.

"Will we always be?" Estellise asked, as unsure as last time.

"Yeah, we'll be friends forever, Estellise." He said with the first smile he'd ever given her.

_Present time_

Estelle awoke with a start. She wiped tears from face and stood up. To her side, she noticed that she'd awoken Rita.

"Hey, is something up, Estelle?" She asked sleepily.

"No… Just a dream." Estelle said.

"Of what? It must have something if it made you cry." Rita said.

"…Remember the story I told you earlier today?" Estelle asked.

"Of the time you met the Duke for the first time?" Rita asked, although she knew it was right.

"Yeah… I was just remembering more of it." Estelle said.

"Oh. Maybe you should get some water and fresh air." Rita suggested.

"Good idea. I'll be back soon." Estelle said, walking over to the door. Before she left, Rita spoke again.

"Don't worry Estelle, you'll find him." She said.

"Yes… I will." Estelle said and left the cabin.

X-X-X-XX-X-X-X

With a glass of water, Estelle bravely stepped onto the Fiertia's deck. To her surprise, she saw Dayren watching the waves. He looked up as she approached.

"Estelle? What'cha doing up this time of night?" He asked in surprise.

"I needed to get a drink and some fresh air." She said, shivering a bit from the cold.

"Why are you still up?" She asked him.

"Oh, just had a strange dream… Of an old friend." He said, looking back to the sea.

"Really? How strange." Estelle said.

"Nah, not really. I must have eaten something weird. It was Rita's cooking after all." Dayren joked. Estelle didn't reply but watched him. He turned back to her and gave her a confused expression.

"I'm writing a book." She said out of the blue. Dayren seemed surprised to hear that.

"Really? That's interesting." Dayren commented.

"But I'm not sure it'll be all that good though." Estelle said sadly.

"Come on, have a little faith in yourself! Look, how about this? I'll read it and tell you what I think. I don't read many books nowadays so I'm not the best critic…" Dayren said. Estelle couldn't hold back a smile.

"Yes, I'd like that. I'd like that very much." Estelle said.

"Alrighty! We'll, I'm off to bed! Night!" Dayren said.

"Good Night… Dayren." Estelle said back and he walk past her. A few seconds later, something was suddenly put on her shoulders. She realised it was Dayren's coat.

"Don't stay out too long." He said.

"I won't" She replied.

* * *

DONE! Gosh, these are supposed to be short stories. But this one is nearly as long as one of the main story's chapters! Well, it's done now. Also, it looks like I can write one in under a day so maybe I'll start writing more. What do you think? Anyway, cya laters, alligators!

~DeMerio


	3. Story 3

Wow, I really neglect this huh? Well no longer! I don't think I'll do review responses for these Extra Stories unless I do. Confusing? Good. Let's see, what are we doing today…? Ah! Well, we're still not into the timeline of the main story but that's OK. The next few chapters will be interesting, I promise.

**No Spoiler warning.**

* * *

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ 

Story 3: Estellise and Dayrellan - Part I

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ 

It was mid-morning and Princess Estellise looked around her room for something to do. It had been two weeks since she met the Duke of Zaphias and his family and she was getting a little lonely. She smiled at the thought of her new friends and suddenly wanted to see them more. So she decided to act and went to the Emperor, ignoring the protests of the Knights patrolling.

When she reached the Emperor's Chambers, she knocked politely and waited. When there was no immediate reply, she pressed an ear against the door. She could hear the Emperor's voice and another person's. She carefully opened the door a jar and peeked in. She could see the Emperor talking with a man who was familiar to the young girl. She suddenly realised it was the Duke himself. She could just about make out what they were saying.

"…So you can see why we're a bit stuck." The Duke said.

"Indeed. You two are required to be there but that does raise a problem. Why not leave them here?" The Emperor suggested.

"Your Majesty, that is asking too much…" The Duke replied.

"Not at all! Remember, you are The Duke of Zaphias. You are welcome in this castle whenever you like! I regret that I may be unable to welcome you every time but…" The Emperor trailed off.

"N-No, your Majesty! Your kindness is more than I could ask for. I thank you most emphatically." The Duke said with a bow.

"Please, think nothing of it!" The Emperor beamed.

"Very well. Shall we let our guest in now? She has been most patient." The Duke said, looking over his shoulder. Estellise jumped and tried to hide, which caused the two men to chuckle.

"Indeed. Please come in, Estellise." The Emperor said and she did so shyly.

"Good Morning, Princess." The Duke said with a bow.

"Good Morning to you too, Duke de Lyesia." She replied with a curtsey.

"Estellise, tomorrow will be slightly special. We will have some visitors, meaning you will only have to study for part of the morning. After that, you have the rest of the day off." The Emperor said, smiling gently. Once Estellise heard this, her face lit up with a brilliant smile.

"Really?" She asked, clearly excited.

"Indeed. In fact, the more you finish today, the less you'll have tomorrow." The Emperor added.

"Okay! Thank you very much!" She said and ran back to her room. From then until dinner that evening, she worked with vigour and determination and managed to finish that day's plus another day's work. She placed down her quill and stretched. _'Now I should be able to play all day! I can't wait for tomorrow! Oh, it's really late…'_ She thought to herself. With a giggle, she got ready for bed.

X-X-X-XX-X-X-X

The sun's glaring rays awoke Estellise from her sleep. She sleepily rubbed the sleep from her eyes and got up. After a few seconds of staring into her mirror, she realised what was happening that day. With a squeak, she ran to her wardrobe and flung it open. She started frantically searching for an appropriate dress for the day. Getting a little desperate, she called in a maid to help her. The surprised maid smiled and together they picked out a pretty dress. Afterwards, the maid led the Princess to breakfast. It was there that she was informed that the guests would be arriving in an hour. Estellise was unable to sit still as she ate her food with modest haste. After finishing and wishing the Emperor a good day, the Princess went back to her room to wait.

There was a polite knock at the door and Estellise instantly jumped up. She opened the door and beamed at the people standing on the other side. There, was Tillya beaming back and holding a shy Kara's hand. Next to them was Dayrellan looking down the corridor with his usual face of indifference.

"Estellise! Oh, it's so good to see you again so soon!" Tillya said happily.

"Morning." Dayrellan said in a bored way.

"Good Morning to you all. Please, come in!" Estellise said, making way for them. She glanced at Dayrellan as he passed her and caught his gaze. Instantly, she went a little pink as she remembered his first words to her two weeks ago. The boy either ignored it or was oblivious to it and just casually walked in. Tillya and Kara had seated themselves at the small table by the window and their brother was scanning the Princess' bookshelf.

"Wow, so this is your room. It's so nice! Don't you agree, Kara?" Tillya asked, turning to the young girl.

"Y-Yes. It nicer than m-mine." She said in a quiet voice.

"Thank you Kara. That was very nice of you to say." Estellise said in response to the first thing she'd ever heard the girl say.

"We were so excited to find out we'd be seeing you again today" Tillya said and Estellise looked surprised. She glanced at Dayrellan who was still meticulously studying the bookshelf.

"That's right. Even he was excited about today. He just never shows any emotion…" Tillya said.

"That is incorrect, elder sister. I show boredom when I am bored." Dayrellan said, returning with a book.

"Which is always!" Tillya said back.

"Not many things interest me. Only books do." Dayrellan said, opening the book.

"Dayrellan… You're not going to read all the time." Tillya said but her brother ignored her.

"U-Um… Please don't fight…" Estellise said unsure of how to deal with the situation.

"Ah! Please, forgive us Princess!" Tillya said, realising whose company they were in.

"Sorry." Dayrellan said not looking up from his book.

"Please, it is fine! I've just never seen a sibling fight before." Estellise said smiling.

"Oh… I see." Tillya said awkwardly.

"If I may, what was the important appointment your parents had to attend?" Estellise asked.

"I'm not too sure. I believe it's some important meeting between the most important Noble s that thinks of new ways to improve the Kingdom. Father said he will take me next time…" Tillya explained and then there was another knock at the door. A maid came in with some tea and snacks. Upon sighting the sweeter item being offered, Kara's face lit up and she devoured many cakes and biscuits. Estellise found it both amusing and cute and smiled warmly.

For several hours after, the children talked and laughed. Even Dayrellan participated when prompted. Eventually, Kara became sleepy and the Princess offered her bed to let the young girl sleep. As Tillya was lulling Kara to sleep, Estellise was left sitting with Dayrellan. The sound of the boy closing the third book he'd read that day made the Princess jump.

"S-So… What did you think of that one?" She asked, causing the boy to turn to her.

"The beginning was slow but once the story got going it got interesting. Also, I wish it had gone into more depth on certain aspects of the story that were important. I assume that the sequels do go into the depth I wanted but…" He trailed off.

"But what?" The Princess asked.

"But we have yet to buy the sequels." He finished, with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"I see… I have all the series so perhaps you could borr- I mean come by again and read them?" Estellise said, changing what she was saying mid-sentence. She did so because she rather liked her friends' company.

"Really? That is most kind of you. Thank you, Estellise!" Dayrellan said, giving her a rare but true smile. The Princess smiled back, her cheeks tinted pink.

"Don't say that, Princess, he actually will come back!" Tillya said teasingly, walking back after getting Kara to sleep finally and Estellise giggled.

"And when did you get close enough to her to address her by her name?" Tillya continued, this time it was aimed at her brother.

"I don't mind. In fact, I'd be really happy if you all called me Estellise!" The Princess said happily.

"Thank you, Princ- I mean, Estellise." Tillya said. An hour or two later, The Duke and Duchess came to pick up their children. Upon saying their farewells, the Duke's family left and the Princess closed her door. It had been a fun day and she looked forward to the next time she saw her friends.

Little did she know, that day would come sooner than she expected.

…

_To be continued…_

* * *

Hi! This is a real short story but I like it. This is the first of a small series of stories that looks at the blissful days of Estelle's childhood. But all good things must come to an end… But not for a while, at least!


	4. Story 4

My friends, my friends! I am back with a new Extra Story! Delays in updates are due to me drawing several pictures of dubious quality. I'll be putting them up on my DeviantART account soon. Anyway, this chapter is a continuation of the previous one, so let's get on with it!

**No Spoiler warning.**

* * *

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Story 4: Estellise and Dayrellan – Part II

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Estellise was seated at her usual place, the luxurious desk by the window overlooking the Upper Quarter's streets. She sighed as she scrunched up her face at the difficult problem before her. She sighed as she sat back in her seat, defeated. Her mind wandered back to the previous day's excitement. Her new friends, the de Lyesia children, had spent the day in her room. They had talked and laughed and played the day away enjoying each other's company. She thought of little Kara, whom rarely spoke. She figured this was why the girl had trouble forming grammatically perfect sentences. She next thought of Tillya, whom she was already very comfortable with to talk to about almost anything. She really gave of the 'big sister' vibe which was hardly surprising since she was a big sister. Then she thought of their brother, Dayrellan. He rarely showed any emotion, making him seem quite mysterious to Estellise. But she enjoyed being around him and talking about their favourite books. She sighed again and looked out the window. She saw nobles walking around, Dayrellan pulling himself up her window-sill, knights patrolling the grounds, the gardeners watering the colourful flowerbeds and… She blinked. With a start she jumped to her feet and stared disbelievingly at the boy now tapping on her window. She quickly opened it and let him in.

"D-Dayrellan! How… How did-?" Estellise tried to ask as the boy casually brushed dirt off his trousers.

"I just snuck past the guards and climbed up to your window. They aren't too difficult to out-manoeuver." Dayrellan explained and walked over to the bookshelf.

"Oh… Why are you here?" Estellise asked and Dayrellan turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"To read the next books in the series…" He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Estellise stared at him in shock.

"What? You said that I could come by again to read them." He said and returned his attention to the bookshelf again.

"I didn't mean the next day!" Estellise said, her voice raising a pitch.

"Hm. Well, I'm here now so it's too late. Or do you not want me to be here?" He asked looking at her again having finally found the book he was after.

"No! I'm happy to see you again so soon!" Estellise said smiling and she sat back down at her desk. She decided to skip over the question she couldn't do and come back to it at the end. She found that doing the questions in the presence of someone else made them more fun. The silence however also made it all quite awkward. The only times they spoke were when Dayrellan had finished the first and second book he'd finished that day. Both times, the Princess asked what he thought and both times he gave an in-depth analysis of the book. Although it was never said, both children were rather enjoying themselves.

X-X-X-XX-X-X-X

Just before noon, Estellise finished her work and stretched. She decided to look over her answers and made a few corrections here and there. When she got the question that she could not do before, she hummed in annoyance. Dayrellan looked up when she did and upon seeing her expression, he walked over out of curiosity. She jumped when he leaned over her to see. She studied the question for a second before taking the pen she was using and started to scribble something. Estellise's eyes widened when she realised he was answering the question with ease. When he was done, he put the pen down and looked at her.

"Wow… You're really smart!" She said in awe.

"N-Not really." Dayrellan replied, looking away.

"Yes really! Do you think you could teach me sometime!?" Estellise said enthusiastically. The boy looked at her incredulously.

"F-Fine… If you insist." He conceded, looking away again and crossing his arms. This caused Estellise to giggle. She looked at his answer again and memorised how to do it.

"You know… Your handwriting is really messy." She noted.

"Hey! You'd better get used to it if you want me to help you!" Dayrellan snapped but this only caused Estellise to giggle more.

"Don't worry, I will!" She beamed and Dayrellan could help but let a small smile spread on his face in response.

X-X-X-XX-X-X-X

Nearly half an hour before lunch, the hallways outside the Princess' room suddenly came alive with activity. Suddenly, there was a quick knock at the door before a maid came in.

"Terribly sorry to disturb you, Your Highness, but something has happened! The Duke's son has…" The maid was saying in a hurry but stopped suddenly when she noticed the young male peering over a book at her in the corner of the room. The maid became very confused and her mouth opened and closed, unable to form words. The sound of several running footsteps could be heard approaching the Princess' room.

"Did you find him!?" A frantic Duke of Zaphias said and he looked into the room, the rest of the de Lyesia family following suit a second after.

"Good Afternoon, Father." Dayrellan said politely before returning to his reading.

"Dayrellan! Don't tell me you were here the whole time!" Arinne de Lyesia yelled. The boy just nodded in response.

"How _DARE_ you disappear like that! Do you realise how worried we were!?" Richard scolded and Dayrellan started to look a little guilty.

"Why didn't you tell us were you were going!?"Arinne continued.

"I told Kara." Dayrellan responded.

"Don't give us that! You know what your mother meant! And of all the places, you snuck into the Royal Castle!?" Richard said, rubbing his temples. Estellise decided to intervene at this point.

"Please, stop. This is my fault, Duke de Lyesia." She said with a curtsey.

"Your Highness… With all due respect, I know you two are friends but…" Richard started but was cut off.

"No, I told Dayrellan that he could come by and read books yesterday. I apologise." Estellise said and Richard thought for a few seconds.

"I see. Your kindness is most appreciated but that does not excuse him. Come along now, son." Richard said and Dayrellan closed his book.

"Very well. I'll see you soon, Estellise. I'll return this book when I do." He said.

"That won't be for a week, young man! You are grounded." Arinne said sternly and her son nodded.

"Come by anytime! I look forward to seeing you all again soon!" Estellise said with a wave. The de Lyesia family bowed or curtseyed and left. Estellise smiled but couldn't help noticing the sudden lack of company. With a sigh, she went over to her bookshelf and picked out a book.

Exactly a week later, Estellise grinned at the sight of Dayrellan knocking on her window.

* * *

There is part two! Not sure how many I will do but I hope you look forward to the next one.


End file.
